


Lost and Found

by Laziam (MItCheLlInE)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:13:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22821571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MItCheLlInE/pseuds/Laziam
Summary: A day at the office turns out more interesting than Liam could have imagined.
Relationships: Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	Lost and Found

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this on a whim whilst looking for inspiration to work on what I should be writing. I hope you like it a little.

Shit! Shit! Shit! - this was not supposed to happen. Liam stands in the middle of the small room that houses the archives of the law firm Brown & Co, where he is three days into his dream internship. It’s not even really a room, more like a large cupboard, windowless and filled to the brim with boxes, files and folders. He can feel the sweat building under his collar, so he loosens his tie in the hope that it might give some relief from the tight feeling in his throat. 

What the fuck was that sodding name? It was Stevens, wasn’t it? Or Stevenson? And what the hell was the first name? Liam presses his hands against his temples, but no amount of mind searching throws up anything useful. His memory is normally excellent. Why is this happening to him now? Why???

And it had all started so well. The big boss man seemed to like him from the get-go.  
“Give me a month of general dogsbody work and we’ll see how you do. I like a guy who thinks on his feet and doesn’t have to be told twice,” he’d said. 

Great.

Now, here he is, looking for this bloody file that the boss needs urgently. The client had called in the morning to arrange an appointment in about an hour from now. Some historic documents are needed - and Liam can’t recall the client’s name to save his life. Mr Brown had even offered to write it down, but no - he’d rushed off, secure in the knowledge that he can retain a tiny piece of information such as a name. Ha!

No way can he go back empty-handed and admit to this lapse of concentration. Maybe the ground will do him a favour and swallow him whole - it doesn’t.

Unwilling to capitulate just yet, he turns to close the door because the last thing he needs right now, is some other employee to find him here and to report back to Mr Brown. He’d be in trouble for sure, not to mention the laughing stock of the entire firm. 

With an audible sigh, he drops to the floor, his back against a stack of archive boxes. If he could only focus his mind and recall the details of instructions his boss gave him. He is so deep in thought, that he doesn’t take in the beeping noise at first. But eventually, the persistent sound reaches him from somewhere in the storeroom and Liam recognizes it as the ringing of a phone. It can’t be though, can it? Why would there be a phone in here, and why would anyone want to call it. There’s no logical answer. However, the fact remains that there is a phone ringing very near to where he’s sat.

His curiosity sparked, he looks for the source of the beeping, and after rummaging between the boxes, he finds it under a pile of empty folders. The device is an old push-button one like his nan used to have. It’s just there, seemingly staring at him while the ringing continues. Is it even attached to anything? The whole ridiculous situation reminds Liam of an episode of Dr Who where a phone rang without being connected. Creepy!

But he needs to find out what’s going on, so he lifts the receiver and places it tentatively against his ear, half expecting creepy silence. Instead, what he hears is what must be the most beautiful phone-voice ever. 

“Hello? Liam? You ok in there?” it says.

Liam would have loved to have marvelled at that sound for a bit longer if he weren’t so ruffled. And so he unleashes some of his anger on the unknown caller.

“Who are you? A Stalker? How do you know my name? Has someone put you up to this? I tell you, it’s not funny,” he spits, ready for an argument.

But all that comes back from the other end of the line is the disconnect tone. What the hell? He‘s dying to know who that dick was and to ask him if he thinks that scaring people and then hanging up is the polite thing to do. Slamming down the receiver, he steels himself for the unavoidable confrontation with his boss when the door opens and a young man in jeans and a white t-shirt slips into the storeroom. Liam has never seen him before because if he had, he would most certainly remember. The guy is stunning; there’s no other way to describe him, and this fact must show on Liam’s face since the man gives him a radiant if slightly bemused smile. 

“Sorry, you sounded distressed,” he says, raising his hand in a small awkward wave. “Thought I’d come over and check on you.”

“I’m in a bit of a pickle, you freaked me out with your weirdo phone call, and then you hung up on me - so,” Liam admits a lot more amicable than he meant to. Somehow, he finds it impossible to stay mad at this guy. 

“Yeah, again sorry. It’s just that I didn’t want you to leave without having talked to you. And my name is Zayn by the way. Not that you wanted to know that, but…” Zayn says, an adorable blush rushing to his cheeks. 

“No...I do...I do,” Liam stutters, an unfamiliar flutter stirring in his stomach. 

“You do?” Zayn seems pleased if the deepening red on his face is anything to go by.

“Yes...erm...I still don’t know who you are exactly, but I’m sorry I called you a stalker.”

Zayn lets out an endearing giggle. “Well, you weren’t entirely wrong there.”

When Liam stares at him blankly, he explains,” This company farms out menial filing and data input jobs to cash-strapped uni students like my bestie Louis and me. We work in that poxy room across the corridor. I’ve noticed you on the day you started here and I’ve made some enquiries.” 

Zayn opens his mouth to continue, but Liam cuts him off. “You should’ve just come and spoken to me.”

Zayn lowers his gaze. “I was waiting to do that, and then today happened, and it seemed like an opportunity that I couldn’t miss.”

“Oh,” is all Liam manages to say.

Zayn throws him another one of his blinding smiles. “So, what’s the emergency here anyway?”

Oh God. Liam had all but forgotten about that wretched file. The conversation with Zayn has put him in some kind of happy bubble, but now, reality is back with a vengeance. Raking his fingers through his hair, Liam fills Zayn in on the problem. 

“Alright, let’s see what we can do about that,” Zayn says, pulling his phone out of his back pocket. Whomever he is calling answers immediately. 

“Yeah, I’m good, thanks,” Zayn says, before adding,” could you tell me who has an appointment with the boss in about twenty minutes? Apparently they rang this morning...quite urgently.” He listens for a moment, then thanks the person and returns his phone to his pocket, his face beaming. “My mate Niall says, the file you’re looking for is Frank Steventon. It should be on the shelf over to your left.”

“Niall as in Horan? Mr Brown’s PA?” Liam shrieks. “He’s gonna tell him what a useless twat of an employee I am.”

“No way,” Zayn laughs. “Nialler is a great guy. Besides, he knows how I feel about you.”

Zayn’s last words don’t register with Liam. He is too busy finding the client file which finally has a name. When he finds it, he holds it up triumphantly.

“Oh my God, Zayn. I could kiss you.”

“Don’t let me stop you,” Zayn says, his cheeks growing an even darker shade of red.

This time, Liam takes note. Zayn’s kidding, right? Has to be. Or maybe not?

Liam’s head is spinning. He finally got his file, and a gorgeous man, who is definitely flirting with him, literally walked into his life. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have time to dwell on that right now.

“I really have to get these files to the office,” he says, making an unconvincingly small step towards the door. 

“Um...wait…,” Zayn says, lightly touching Liam’s arm. “I’m...I mean we’re going to the pub across the road after work.”

“Who’s we?”

“Niall, Louis and his boyfriend Harry. Would you like to join us?”

Now it is Liam’s turn to blush. “You sure they won’t mind?”

“Positive.”

“Ok then, I’ll meet you there,” Liam agrees, and before he can chicken out, he leans in to kiss Zayn softly on the cheek. “That’s for saving my life today,” he breathes. “Maybe we can expand on this later.”

With that, he practically floats back to his workplace, leaving a stunned looking Zayn in his wake. 

This day might have started off badly but it sure ended with a level of happiness that Liam doesn’t yet know what to do with.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading xx


End file.
